Sports Update » Olivia Lewishttp://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate
Blogging special sports events and storiesTue, 03 Mar 2015 23:00:04 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.8.3Houston proves to be great Junior Olympics hosthttp://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2012/08/houston-proves-to-be-great-junior-olympics-host/
http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2012/08/houston-proves-to-be-great-junior-olympics-host/#commentsMon, 06 Aug 2012 04:45:19 +0000http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/?p=5246After Thursday’s closing ceremony and the finale of competition on Saturday, the Junior Olympic Games have left Houston after a job well done by all participants. As a first-time host for the games, the city welcomed thousands of visitors throughout the two-week event.

After months of preparation and the hard work of dedicated volunteers, AAU’s national chairman, Paul Campbell, said, “Houston was the right choice at the right time; that was never a doubt. The facilities were first-class. The people, the security, the medical staff, everything down to the custodians — the whole thing was a first-class event.”

The AAU bounced among four cities – Detroit, New Orleans, Knoxville, and Hampton, Va. — over the past 14 years. But with a growing track and field population, Knoxville’s facilities became overcrowded, and Houston got a bid for this year’s Junior Olympics.

By building a 960-square-foot video board and a new road by Turner Stadium, as well as using facilities at Pearland Natatorium, the Kinkaid School and the George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston was able to accommodate the swarm of athletes, parents, and spectators.

“It was so nice. The facilities are gorgeous. Much better than last year in New Orleans,” Leslie Silva of Kingwood said. “Everything went smoothly; everything was quick. We got in and got out.”

Good first impressionLike many others, Silva and her family said they would come back if the Junior Olympics were to be held in Houston again.

“I would absolutely come back, but get rid of this heat. I’m from Chicago. This heat will catch ya,” said clerk of the course Billy Poole-Harris.

Although the Houston heat cannot literally be stopped, the AAU was able to fill almost all of the volunteer spots for the event. Pam Santillian, a coach and volunteer for the event from Stockton, Calif., said the heat was different from California, but she looks forward to volunteering again.

“I think it’s gone very well from a coaching and a volunteering standpoint. Everything has gone really well. I would definitely do this again” Santillian said.

Next year’s Junior Olympics will be in Detroit, but Campbell says it’s the people of Texas who made this year’s event run so smoothly.

“The city of Houston should be very proud of the Harris County Sports and Visitor Bureau,” Campbell said. “They are top-notch and one of the best representative groups in the nation and one that many cities would die for.”

Campbell went on about the many groups and people who helped make the games a success in Houston, including the medical and security staffs.

Southern hospitalityHeath Rushing, chief operating officer of Memorial Hermann Northeast, said he was glad the facility was able to provide resources and be part of the event.

“We certainly see this type of event as a good value to the community,” Rushing said. “Anything we can do in the future, an event like this, we are certainly willing to help.”

Campbell said the work involved in pulling off the Junior Olympics is made worthwhile by the athletes.

“My favorite thing is the thousands of youngsters that had a chance to participate,” he said. “They knew to go out and take over and conquer.”

olivia.lewis@chron.com

]]>http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2012/08/houston-proves-to-be-great-junior-olympics-host/feed/0Junior Olympics: Competition ends with smooth landinghttp://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2012/08/junior-olympics-competition-ends-with-smooth-landing/
http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2012/08/junior-olympics-competition-ends-with-smooth-landing/#commentsSun, 05 Aug 2012 04:37:03 +0000http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/?p=5243With only a few hundred spectators remaining in the stadium, the last runner crossed the finish line, panting and out of breath on Saturday at Turner Stadium, completing the final day of the Junior Olympics.

The stands looked empty, but under the awnings and in the shadows of the walkways, the stadium was still full of faithful fans enjoying the final day of competition.

Over eight days, 47 records were broken by 11,007 athletes competing in track and field, the main event of this year’s AAU Junior Olympics.

Other than the heat, spectators, volunteers, athletes, coaches and parents had nothing bad to say about the games. Almost all said they would “absolutely” return to Houston.
By Saturday, volunteers, officials and teams knew where to be at what time. Clerk of the Course Billy Poole-Harris was not expecting the event to run so smoothly.

“It’s gone surprisingly well for having over 11,000 athletes here over the course of eight days — and most events are running. From the announcers, the officials, on the ground, to the starters, we’ve all been on the same page,” Poole-Harris said.

The Ellis family, on their sixth Junior Olympics tour, said they have become accustomed to disorganized events that are usually more of a hassle; however, this year’s competition was much better in all aspects.

“I wouldn’t mind coming back every year. This year was the smoothest and by far the best facility and the best city,” Kevin Ellis said. “To come here and not have to pay for parking every day was a blessing. Best organized, best run meets.”

Other than a few minor setbacks, as with any event of the track and field’s magnitude, the event proceeded without a hitch. Even the medical team was happy to report no serious injuries throughout the week.

Working from 6 a.m. until almost 9 p.m., lead athletic trainer Robert Maniscalco reported only 304 documented treatments, which included spectators and athletes. Two-thirds of the treatments were because of dehydration. The 304 issues accounted for 2.7 percent of the total athletes to compete throughout the week. Only 15 people were sent to Memorial Hermann Northeast for follow-up treatments.

“It went really well. The kids did a phenomenal job considering the Houston heat and not being from here. The Hermann sports medicine staff kept everybody hydrated,” Maniscalco said. “But by five o’clock today, don’t expect to see me!”

Junior Olympics Closing Ceremonies

Former Olympian and past Junior Olympian LaMont Smith watched with pride Friday as some possible successors got their medals on the fifth day of AAU Junior Olympics track and field events at Turner Stadium.

Smith was a member of the 1996 U.S. Olympic track and field team. It won gold with Smith as a member of the 4×400 relay team. On Friday, Smith sat at a table in Vendor Alley waiting to sign autographs and talk with future Olympic hopefuls. But many athletes weren’t born until after 1996, so they had no idea who he was.

“I didn’t know who he was; my mom said we should say hi,” Gloria Clark, 15, said. “It feels good (to meet an Olympian), but I’m pretty excited to see what Allyson Felix does this week.”

Supportive of many Olympians, Clark is too young to have witnessed Smith win gold on television like her mother, Janell Clark.

“The kids are like, who? But we know (who he is),” Janell Clark said. Although young, her daughter said meeting someone who had competed in the Olympics gave her a goal to try to achieve.

“I’m going to train hard, stay focused, and don’t let people tell me I’m wrong. If they say I can’t do this, then I have to keep going,” Clark said.

Smith, who joined the AAU at 14, competed in four Junior Olympics, never winning.

He and Clark shared stories of their Junior Olympic races to which Smith could only admit to her, “You’re already better than me.”

In his youth, Smith said he was the “slowest kid” when he first ran with his friends. Inspired by legends like Carl Lewis, Smith practiced harder and eventually, faster.

“They (the Olympics) were great. I was young and it was something I had always dreamed about,” Smith said. “But when I think about it, I think of the journey of getting to the Olympics; all the training, and AAU, and college.”

Smith won nine state championships at Willingboro (N.J.) High School. He earned a track scholarship for Blinn College in Brenham and took classes at the University of Houston while training for the 1996 Olympics.

Smith makes it sound easy, but it’s not for any competitive athlete.

“The mental aspect is the hardest part because it’s just you,” he said. “Let’s say you lose three or four consecutive races. You have to be able to bounce back.”

Junior Olympics

A handful of spectators cheered in the stands during the first round of the Junior Olympics field hockey competition at the Kinkaid School on Wednesday. Thousands of fans watch the track and field events in Humble, but the small group for field hockey is a reflection of the sport’s popularity in the area.

“It’s mostly parents and friends of the athletes. We don’t expect a big turnout,” said Karen Collins, director of event logistics for USA Field Hockey. “We’d love to see more (people) and more interest in the sport in Houston.”

Originally, 14-year-old goalie Kelsey Bing was the only competitor from Houston invited to compete.

“A lot of people dropped because Houston was so far. Two more girls from Houston were added because so many others dropped,” Bing said. “It could have been more competitive. Not that it isn’t competitive, but it could have been more.”

The majority of Bing’s Junior Olympics teammates are from Pennsylvania, New York and Virginia. Playing for St. John’s School and the Texas Pride club team, Bing often travels for field hockey, and she says there is much more fervor for the sport on the East Coast, which she’s visited three times this summer.

“I’m racking up my frequent-flyer miles,” Bing said. “When the other girls said it was a lot for them to come all the way out here, I was like, now you know how I feel all the time.”

Team Teal lost its first match 1-0 against Team Pink, but Bing and her teammates still have a chance of winning gold Saturday. The eight teams are split into two pools of four teams, and each team plays everyone in its pool. Then the competition goes into bracket play.

Unlike soccer and lacrosse goalies, field hockey goalies are allowed only to redirect the ball rather than hold it. Even though no goals were scored while Bing was on the field Wednesday, she admitted it’s harder to play with her Junior Olympics team than her local team.

“Part of the struggle is I have to know everyone’s name on the field, and I don’t know how they play. I don’t know how they are with the ball,” Bing said. “I have to play more conservative at first, which I don’t like. I like to know everyone.”

Although she is excited to be pursued by national teams, Bing wants to see more growth of the sport in her hometown.

“It isn’t available at younger ages as much,” she said. “In soccer, you have like 10 to 20 different places you can play. In field hockey, they are just now bringing programs to play at third grade.”

Jessica McClain, co-owner of Texas Pride and Bing’s coach, hopes to add third through fifth grade to Texas Pride’s program, which currently includes sixth through 12th grade, in the fall.

“We’re trying to reach more players, get kids started earlier with fundamentals,” McClain said. “Field hockey is not popular in Texas. It’s the (lack of) exposure and resources for public schools. There aren’t enough people that know about it.”

Junior Olympics volunteer Destiny Jefferson, left, tries to help Kyle West of Schererville, Ind., cool down after the 400-meter hurdles. (Thomas B. Shea/For the Chronicle)

There is no surprise in the mid-90s summer heat in Houston. With that in mind, the AAU came prepared to keep athletes and their families cool at this week’s Junior Olympics track and field events at Humble’s Turner Stadium.

With a high of 96 on Tuesday, athletes ran past the finish line and were then doused by volunteers holding sponges drenched in ice-cold water. In the stands, bubbles of umbrellas covered sweaty faces and empty water and Gatorade bottles.

“We’re almost to glory,” a mother said to her daughter as they left the stadium for Tent City, where coaches, athletes and families lined tents in rows to keep cool and out of the sun.

Bernadette Session, a volunteer from Humble, did not feel inconvenienced by the heat. “It’s summertime in the South. It’s supposed to be hot,” she said.

Session, who volunteered at the Senior Olympics in Houston last summer, stays cool by keeping watermelon slices in a cooler to eat throughout the day and by drinking water.

Line up for beveragesJunior Olympics spectators walked through misting stations set up throughout Turner Stadium for a quick cool-down. Lines for smoothies and cool drinks on Vendor Alley were never-ending.

“I expected the heat to be like this,” Romain said. “My team is still competing; otherwise, I wouldn’t stay out in this heat.”

While others relaxed in the hallways of the stadium and stayed in the shade of buildings at Humble High School, Sharon Pottinger of Miami, Fla., brought a tent so her children could escape the sun before and after their races.

“My friends warned me there is no breeze here,” Pottinger said. “They told me somewhat, but I didn’t know it was this bad. We stay under the tent and stay hydrated.”

Staying hydrated was stressed by everyone. In a room underneath the jumbo scoreboard, a medical staff of 10 licensed athletic trainers, 10 day-to-day student volunteers and four EMS personnel continued to remind spectators the importance of hydration.

A day-long processAthletic trainer Robert Maniscalco said there have been more problems in trying to get spectators to stay hydrated than there have been with the athletes.

“For the number of people that are here, it’s kind of what we expected,” Maniscalco said. “(Monday), there were more people in here (medical room), but the athletes are better than we expected.”

Like most families, Pottinger and her two children arrived at 11 a.m. Tuesday and didn’t plan on leaving before 6 p.m. Maniscalco made it clear that fans need to keep in mind how to stay cool during the long hours in the sun.

“They need to stay in the shade as much as possible, drink lots and lots of fluids, and remember to keep eating, even though it’s hot,” Maniscalco said. “Go inside sometimes if you can, but the main thing is (drinking) the fluids.”

Junior Olympics

Gunshots were heard every other minute to signal the start of races at Turner Stadium on Monday, the first day of track and field events for the Junior Olympics.

Thousands of athletes were on hand, with many of them eagerly awaiting the arrival of one athlete in particular.

Ashton Allen, 10, of Odenton, Md., did not disappoint, taking first place in 13.03 seconds in the last heat of the bantam boys 100 meters.

Allen crossed the finish line and made his way to a tent serving up water for the athletes. Within seconds he was greeted by fellow runners asking to shake his hand and complimenting him on his performance, which is normal for any athlete.

What was not normal was the handful of fans waiting for Allen to leave the tent so they could shake his hand and take pictures. His mother, Antoinette Allen, stood by and watched, patiently waiting for the crowd to diminish.

“I used to not let them (take pictures) because he’s just a kid. But then it kept happening more and more,” she said. “And now it’s just a great compliment.”

The somewhat shy Allen said he has gotten used to the popularity that makes him feel famous. He politely said yes to every picture request and shook every hand.

Although Allen appreciates all the adoration from the stands, he doesn’t keep in contact with any of his fans.

His hard work isn’t for them; he just likes running.

“It’s just fun to run and be free,” Allen said.

Recovering from a recent broken fibula that caused him to wear a boot until the end of June, Allen is still not back to 100 percent, according to his mother.

“He was supposed to stay off of it, but he still ran on it,” she said.

Allen will compete in the 200 on Tuesday and the long jump later in the week.

olivia.lewis@chron.com

]]>http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2012/07/10-year-old-track-and-field-sensation-ashton-allen-eyes-junior-olympics-gold/feed/0Cup stackers steal show in debuthttp://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2012/07/cup-stackers-steal-show-in-debut/
http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2012/07/cup-stackers-steal-show-in-debut/#commentsSun, 29 Jul 2012 02:22:11 +0000http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/?p=5210In a matter of seconds, the click-clack of cups stacked into pyramids across a table left perplexed yet intrigued looks on the faces of those in attendance at the George R. Brown Convention Center, where AAU hosted its first Junior Olympic speed stacking competition Thursday through Saturday.

More than 215 stackers compete in a sport that many people over age 18 know nothing about. Bright flags, music and stacked garbage cans were the center of attention on the first floor of the convention center. The Speed Stacks Company and World Speed Stacking Association governing body founders, Bob and Jill Fox, drove from Denver for the Junior Olympics. Bob Fox introduced cup stacking 15 years ago in a physical education class.

“I was a physical education teacher and a former professional juggler, and I was attracted to the sport when I saw it on the ‘Tonight Show with Johnny Carson’ in 1990,” Bob Fox said. “I was just attracted to it because it reminded me of upside-down juggling.”

Stacking the deck

Many of the competitors learn about speed stacking in elementary P.E. classes, from television shows or on YouTube videos. Brent DelTorro said his 8-year-old daughter, Hayden, learned about it while attending Sampson Elementary School in Cypress.

“I was like, cup stacking, I don’t know much about cup stacking. But she wanted to be a part of something,” DelTorro said. “Seeing how much fun she’s having, I’m obviously proud and happy for her.”

After introducing the sport to his class to work on ambidexterity and hand-eye coordination, Fox held a tournament in Denver. Half the school participated. He then told other teachers about it and says the sport reached 34,000 physical education and recreation programs around the world.

AAU national chairman Paul Campbell attended a stacking event in Denver, and it sparked interest in bringing the sport to the Junior Olympics. His grandchildren competed in the games.

“I went to watch it, and I thought this could fit with our demonstration sports and … this would be a good one to develop,” Campbell said. “What we try to do is get them involved and get kids excited, get them to come to the Junior Olympics.”

Sport on rise

There are three basic events in cup stacking. In a 3-3-3, stackers work from one side to the other to “upstack” pyramids of three, go back to the same side and “downstack” the cups. In a 3-6-3, stackers do the same thing, but with six cups in the middle. What Fox calls the premier event is the Cycle, which consists of a 3-3, 3-6-3, 1-10-1 and back to a 3-6-3. All of these events are done in individual, double and relay matches.

Mason Langenderfer, 12, traveled from Toledo, Ohio, and held the 9-year-old divisional record for the Cycle at 6.97 seconds and the 10-and-under doubles world record of 8.02 seconds, but those records have been broken. Fox said all the world-record holders for stacking were scheduled to compete at the Junior Olympics.

Mason heard about stacking at school five years ago and asked for cups for Christmas. Since then, he has improved his technique. His mother, Teresa, accompanied him to the World Cup stacking competition in January in Germany.

“It’s something he’s good at, so I can’t not be supportive. It’s allowed him to grow socially and he’s been interviewed by newspapers and kids recognize him from TV shows,” his mom said.

Junior Olympics

PEARLAND – The Tanizaki-Hudson family traveled more than 5,000 miles from Kapolei, Hawaii, to Houston to compete in the Junior Olympics at Pearland Natatorium. With a team competing in more than a dozen swimming events, Daimon Hudson says they plan to make the long journey worth its while.

Hudson and his wife, Kelly Tanizaki, are the head coaches of the American Renaissance Academy club swim team, the only AAU club swim team in Hawaii.

Tanizaki, who swam for Stanford and competed in AAU and USA swimming while growing up, got her children involved in the sport at a young age.

High marks for AAU

All three of the Tanizaki-Hudson children will compete in at least four events during the Junior Olympics swimming competition, which began Friday and ends Monday.

“It’s kind of fun now for our kids to swim, and (we) enjoy watching them,” Tanizaki said. “I’m glad to see that AAU is alive and doing well. I like how they emphasize sportsmanship in their games.”

Hudson said that he likes that AAU is involved in multiple sports so the family and team can participate in more than just swimming.

“It (AAU) exposes all the events,” Hudson said. “It’s the camaraderie with all sports, unlike USA swimming, where it’s all just swimming, not even diving. Athletes are given the opportunity to grow and learn and be exposed to what it means to be an athlete today.”

His son and daughter – Derek Tanizaki-Hudson, 16, and Kealani Tanizaki-Hudson, 12 – are both trying to break world records during the competition. Derek is shooting for the 100- and 200-meter breaststroke marks while Kealani is preparing to beat the 50 and 100 butterfly records.

“We’ve been training hard, a lot of adrenaline stuff and cross-training,” Derek said.

Time zones take toll

The team began its Friday practice at 8 a.m., but with a five-hour time difference from Hawaii, it felt like 3 a.m. to everyone. While most of the team was worn out after the two-hour session, 8-year-old Kiana Tanizaki-Hudson was still full of energy even though she would have preferred to stay in bed until noon. While her older brother and sister have participated in various Junior Olympics since they were 7 and 10 years old, this is Kiana’s first Junior Olympics.

“I don’t have very many (swimming) memories, but this will be one of them,” Kiana said. “I want to go horseback riding and swimming. I hope the horse can swim. Maybe a sea horse?”

olivia.lewis@chron.com

]]>http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2012/07/junior-olympics-become-family-affair/feed/0Swimmer skips London for Junior Olympicshttp://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2012/07/skipping-london-for-junior-olympics/
http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2012/07/skipping-london-for-junior-olympics/#commentsFri, 27 Jul 2012 22:43:57 +0000http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/?p=5201While hundreds of athletes storm into England for the Olympics, 7-year-old Olivia Lee left England for Houston. Lee will compete in the swimming component of her first Junior Olympics at Pearland Natatorium on Friday through Monday.

Originally from Saudi Arabia, Lee and her mother, moved to England about a month ago after qualifying for the Junior Olympics in Saudi Arabia with the British International School (BIS). The BIS, head of the swimming association in Saudi Arabia, competed in previous Junior Olympics.They did not bring a team this year.

Used to having lots of friends around her in the pool, Lee has heard of one other swimmer from BIS competing in the Junior Olympics.

“I get nervous, feel scared sometimes,” Lee said when describing how it feels right before a race starts.

Still recouping from the time difference in England and nervous about her competitions, Lee was a day early for her race. She will swim in both the eight-and-under age bracket and the 10-and-under bracket. She will compete in the 50 meter for all strokes and the 100 meter for all strokes except the 100 freestyle.

“She’s a real water baby,” Joanne Lee said. “But she does like to win, she’s very competitive.”

Junior Olympics powerlifting

It didn’t take long for the records to start falling at the Junior Olympics.

Within the first two hours of competition Thursday at the George R. Brown Convention Center, two world records were broken by athletes under the age of 14.

Silencia Algarin, a 7-year-old powerlifter from Little Falls, Minn., was the first record breaker. Algarin, who weighs 60 pounds, squatted 66 pounds, topping the mark of 55 pounds.

“It feels good to be strong, and it’s fun because you get to have gold medals,” Silencia said. “My friends think it’s cool that I can lift a lot of weight. I bring my trophies for sharing time at school.”

Family affair

Luis Algarin, her father and coach, was beaming after judges announced the record. Algarin has two other children competing in powerlifting and track and field.

“I do it because it (powerlifting) is one of my dad’s favorite things and we get to stay at hotels once a week,” Silencia said.

Ally Dodds, a 12-year-old from Lakeland, Fla., who weighs 140 pounds, squatted 181.5 pounds to break the world mark of 154 pounds.

Dodds began powerlifting while training for gymnastics. Sonya Dodds, her mother and coach, said this is their fourth Junior Olympics.

“I love getting records and getting to know people,” Ally said. “Where I come from, there’s hardly any girls (competing), and the ones who do it are like 30 and 40.”

Caitlin Harrier, 10, from Kissimmee, Fla., also enjoys the competition.

“I can show them (her friends) the techniques that I do because they don’t really understand powerlifting that much,” said Harrier, who weighs 95 pounds and squatted 121.

Focus and then success

Even though she was the only competitor in her weight class, Dodds said she still felt the pressure to break a record. She could set as many as four in Houston.

“The hardest thing is focusing. I just close my eyes and block out the faces,” Dodds said.

Joseph Pena, 13, from San Antonio, also has a hard time focusing, even though he won three gold medals.

“Just 30 seconds of seriousness is what I ask for,” said his father, John Pena. “He’s a goofball; everyone who knows him knows he is. He’s a typical kid; I just need 30 seconds.”

Young Pena, competing in his first Junior Olympics, weighed in at 272 pounds. He squatted 401.5 pounds, bench-pressed 198 pounds and dead-lifted 325.6 pounds in his gold-medal-winning performances.